DE 10 2010 008 436 (corresponds to WO 2011/101384) describes this type of functional head for a fragrance container. The functional head includes an inlet opening for admitting air into an inlet channel, an outlet opening for discharging a mixture of fragrance and air from an outlet channel, and a spring-loaded valve plate. The fragrance container is a flacon. The functional head is in the form of a valve cap having the spring-loaded valve plate on its top side. The functional head (i.e., the valve cap) can be screwed on to and unscrewed from the neck of the flacon. The fragrance container with the functional head screwed on is attachable to a fragrance generator to enable delivery of fragrance.
During the attachment process of the fragrance container with the functional head to the fragrance generator, the valve plate pushes against the spring and thereby moves away from (i.e., opens) the inlet and outlet openings. As a result of the valve plate being moved away from the inlet and outlet openings, the inlet and outlet channels are enabled and connected to the fragrance generator. In turn, the fragrance generator introduces an air stream into the inlet channel and discharges the fragrance and air mixture from the outlet channel such as into a vehicle interior.
When the fragrance container with the functional head is separated from the fragrance generator, the spring pushes the valve plate towards the inlet and outlet openings. The valve thereby automatically moves toward and against (i.e., closes) the inlet and outlet openings. As a result, the inlet and outlet channels respectively associated with the inlet and outlet openings are disabled and disconnected from the exterior of the functional head. However, the inlet and outlet channels may be readily reopened upon pressure being applied to the valve plate. As such, there is a risk of liquid fragrance from the fragrance container escaping via the functional head upon an inadvertent pressure being applied to the valve plate.
DE 10 2010 008 436 addresses this risk with a protective cap for the functional head. The protective cap is placed on the functional head to prevent an inadvertent pressure from being applied to the valve plate when the fragrance container with the functional head is removed from the fragrance generator. However, the protective cap is sometimes not at hand upon removal of the fragrance container with the functional head from the fragrance generator. As a result, the user is forced to leave the fragrance container without the protective cap on the functional head. As such, when the fragrance container cannot be placed in a stable upright position, which may occur in particular when used in a vehicle, there is a risk that the valve plate may come into contact with other objects and thus experience an application of pressure causing the valve plate to enable the inlet and outlet channels. Consequently, fragrance in concentrated liquid form may escape from the fragrance container via the channels and the openings of the functional head. Since by their nature fragrances are substances having a very intense odor, unpleasant contamination of the vehicle interior may result which is removable, if at all, only with significant effort.